Who The Hell Are We?

Muriel Spark wrote it in months while Nixon was still in office. Fifty-two years later, Melanie and Ed test whether the joke still lands. Spark's 90-page novella, subtitled "A Modern Morality Tale," relocates Watergate to a Benedictine convent in Cheshire. The newly elected Abbess Alexandra has bugged the grounds, rigged her election, and reads Yeats and Milton over dinner while her sisters eat dog food. Her working theory is that the world wants a myth and facts don't matter. A stolen thimble doubles as the Watergate burglary; Sister Gertrude, the Kissinger figure, phones in advice from Peru while negotiating between cannibals and vegetarians. Melanie carries Alexandra's strategy forward into 2026 without much trouble; Ed flags the tonal divergence — Spark's abbess is composed and unbothered, where Nixon was paranoid and raving at portraits. The honest verdict is mixed: dry, esoteric, of its time. Glenda Jackson played Alexandra in Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1977 film adaptation Nasty Habits. Related episodes: - Black Narcissus (1947) — https://whothehellarewe.libsyn.com/website/10th-anniversary - Lilies of the Field (1963) — https://whothehellarewe.libsyn.com/website/lilies-of-the-field Full discussion notes and the WTHAW catalog: https://melanieanded.substack.com Who the Hell Are We? is hosted by novelists Melanie Benjamin and Edward Kelsey Moore. New episodes roughly monthly.

Lilies of the Field is a 1963 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Ralph Nelson. Praised by critics, Lilies of the Field earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Skala. Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the first Black actor to win in a leading role. 📧 [email protected] 📖 melanieanded.substack.com

It's book review week, Melanie and Ed discuss Prodigal Summer (2000) by author Barbara Kingsolver. Also, Melanie explains why it has been her best sports weekend EVER. More at melanieanded.substack.com or email [email protected]

Our hosts seem to have hit the eggnog early as they discuss The Shop Around the Corner, a 1940 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch starring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, and Joseph Schildkraut. More at melanieanded.substack.com or email [email protected]

Robert Mitchum's preacher in The Night of the Hunter was inspired by real murders that also shaped Jayne Anne Phillips's novel Quiet Dell. Ed and Melanie trace the link between book and film, exploring how truth becomes myth and how art transforms tragedy. More at melanieanded.substack.com or email [email protected] .

Robert Mitchum's sinister preacher, Charles Laughton's only directorial effort, and one of cinema's most haunting thrillers — The Night of the Hunter (1955) went unappreciated in its day. Ed and Melanie explore its striking imagery, Shelley Winters' fate, and Lillian Gish's quiet strength. More at melanieanded.substack.com

It's Book Club week as Ed and Melanie take on Laughing Gas (1936) by P. G. Wodehouse. A book with aristocrats colliding with Hollywood child stars in a screwball farce of body-swapping and mischief.  📧 [email protected] 📖 melanieanded.substack.com

Melanie and Ed discuss Maurice (1987), the Merchant Ivory adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel of forbidden love. They explore the film's emotional tone, literary legacy, and what it meant to tell this story in 1987. 📧 [email protected] 🔗 melanieanded.substack.com 🌀 Originally released: July 8th, 2023

A 1931 film about a washed-up boxer and his son turns into one of the most emotional episodes Ed and Melanie have ever recorded. They walk through The Champ scene by scene, with reflections on Frances Marion, child actors, and a performance by Jackie Cooper that still stuns. 📬 [email protected] 📰 melanieanded.substack.com

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), a ghost story with real romantic power. Gene Tierney is luminous, Rex Harrison is "Sexy Rexy," and the ending still breaks our hearts.  📬 Email us: [email protected] 📰 Substack: https://melanieanded.substack.com 🌀 Originally released: July 4, 2022

Melanie and Ed begin a new movie-book rhythm with their first book episode: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles — a novel of restraint, elegance, and quiet ambition in 1930s New York. 📧 [email protected] 🔗 melanieanded.substack.com

Melanie and Ed discuss the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still and explore why Klaatu's quiet alien warning still resonates. 📧 [email protected] 🔗 melanieanded.substack.com 🌀 Originally released: November 24, 2024

A Technicolor convent clings to a cliff in Black Narcissus (1947), where desire, memory, and madness simmer. Ed and Melanie unpack Kathleen Byron's unforgettable performance, Deborah Kerr's quiet power, and colonialist shadows. 📧 [email protected] 🔗 melanieanded.substack.com 🌀 Originally released: October 15, 2023

Lena Horne leads a dazzling cast in Stormy Weather (1943), but the film holds back from giving her a real role. Melanie and Ed revisit this musical landmark with admiration and frustration. 📬 Email us: [email protected]  📰 Subscribe: whothehellarewe.substack.com

Hepburn dazzles, Grant simmers, and Stewart steals a kiss — but we're asking what the movie does to its strongest character. Wit, weddings, and one quietly devastating rewatch. 📬 Email us: [email protected]  📰 Subscribe: whothehellarewe.substack.com

The team watches Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)—Melanie immediately wants a divorce. Monkey chaos, Cold War weirdness, and a survival story that forgets to care. 📬 Email us: [email protected] 📰 Read and subscribe: whothehellarewe.substack.com 🔁 This episode originally aired on September 9, 2020.

REISSUED for Pride Month | The Boys in the Band (1970)  A queer dinner party implodes in Mart Crowley's groundbreaking pre-Stonewall drama. Melanie and Ed revisit the 1970 film and reflect on its dated portrayals, raw emotion, and lasting legacy. Subscribe at whothehellarewe.substack.com  Email us: [email protected]

After more than 100 episodes of delightful chaos, Melanie and Ed are finally giving *Who the Hell Are We?* a little structure—just a little. From now on, they'll alternate between one movie and one book, with plenty of time in between for tangents, updates, and whatever else comes up. First up: The Philadelphia Story (1940)   The book? Tune in next time to find out. Comments and suggestions: [email protected]   Substack: https://melanieanded.substack.com  

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER (1957), starring Jayne Mansfield and Tony Randall, with Betsy Drake, Joan Blondell, John Williams, Henry Jones, Lili Gentle, and Mickey Hargitay, and with a cameo by Groucho Marx. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is TORCH SONG (1953), starring Joan Crawford and Michael Wilding. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is THE HOLIDAY (2006), starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is VALENTINO (1977), directed by Ken Russell and starring Rudolf Nureyev, Leslie Caron, Michelle Phillips, and Carol Kane. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951), starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Frances Bavier and Lock Martin. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964), directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood in his first leading role, alongside Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, Sieghardt Rupp, José Calvo, Antonio Prieto and Joseph Egger. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is GEORGY GIRL (1966), starring Lynn Redgrave, Alan Bates, Charlotte Rampling, James Mason, and Rachel Kempson. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is RANDOM HARVEST (1942), starring Ronald Colman and Greer Garson Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is TRAPEZE (1956), starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is THE ROSE TATTOO (1955), starring Anna Magnani, Burt Lancaster, Marisa Pavan, and Jo Van Fleet. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is SUDDEN FEAR (1952), American film noir thriller film directed by David Miller, and starring Joan Crawford and Jack Palance Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is STORMY WEATHER (1943), starring Lena Horne, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and Cab Calloway. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them; their audio engineer let the holidays, day job, COVID, and aliens delay posting this episode. This week's movie is SHAFT (1971), starring Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John, and Lawrence Pressman. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946), starring David Niven, Roger Livesey, Raymond Massey, Kim Hunter and Marius Goring. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: BLACK NARCISSUS (1947), starring Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar, and Flora Robson, and featuring Esmond Knight, Jean Simmons, and Kathleen Byron. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964), Written and directed by Jacques Demy, with music by Michel Legrand. Starring Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: GIDGET (1959), starring Sandra Dee, Cliff Robertson, James Darren, Arthur O'Connell, and the Four Preps. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: MAURICE (1987), starring The James Wilby, Hugh Grant, and Rupert Graves. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: BATTLEGROUND (1949), starring Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalbán, George Murphy, and James Whitmore. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: CAT PEOPLE (1942), starring Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Tom Conway, and Jane Randolph.  Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (1950), starring Joan Crawford, David Brian, and Steve Cochran.  Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: COOLEY HIGH (1973), starring Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, and Garrett Morris. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: WHERE THE BOYS ARE (1960), starring Connie Francis, Dolores Hart, Paula Prentiss, George Hamilton, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Hutton, and Frank Gorshin. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: MADAME X (1966), starring Lana Turner, John Forsythe, and Ricardo Montalbán. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!  

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958), starring Paul Newman, Elizebeth Taylor, and Berl Ives. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!  

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: THE LONG, HOT SUMMER (1958), starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Orson Wells, Lee Remick, Anthony Franciosa, and Angela Lansbury. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

We're No Angels Rio Bravo (1959) directed and produced by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Angie Dickinson. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH (1964-ish), starring Kirk Douglas, Alexis Smith, David Janssen, George Hamilton, Brenda Vaccaro, Melina Mercouri, and Deborah Raffin. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (1962), starring Olivia de Havilland, Rossano Brazzi, Yvette Mimieux, George Hamilton, and Barry Sullivan. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945), starring George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury, and Peter Lawford. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Melanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie: DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1941), starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, and Lana Turner. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to [email protected] Don't forget to subscribe to the show!